Thomas william watson



(No Model.)

T. W. WATSON & T. DENNY. GRINDING AND AMALGAMATING MAGHINE.

No. 423,502. PatentedMar. 18, 1890.

Invenbrr I 725% Mpmy To all wh'om it may concern:

V UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

THOMAS WILLIAM WATSON, OF ST. ARNAUD, AND THOMAS DENNY, OF I SOUTHYARRA, ASSIGNORS TO THE WATSON & DENNY GOLD AND SILVER EXTRACTINGCOMPANY, (LIMITED) OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA.

GRINDING AND AMALGAMATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,502, dated March18, 1890.

Application filed July 18, 1888. Serial No.280, 383. (No model.)Patented in Victoria October 19, 1885, No. 4,285 in New South Wales July29, 1886; in Queensland November 17, 1886, No- 136; in South AustraliaMarch 28, 1887, No. 786; in Tasmania October 6, 1887, No. 496/9, and inNew Zealand October 18, 1887, No. 2,588-

Be It known that we, THOMAS WVILLIAM WATSON and THOMAS DENNY, subjectsof the Queen of Great Britain, residing, respectively, at St. Arnaud, inthe British colony of Victoria, and at- 93 Chapel street, South Yarra,in the said colony, have invented new and useful Improvements inGrinding and Amalgamating Machines, (for which we have obtained patentsin the following British colonies: Victoria, dated October 19, 1885, No.41,285; New South Wales, July 29, 1886, but unnumbered; Queensland,November 17, 1886, No. 136 South Australia, March 28, 1887, No. 786Tasmania, October 6, 1887, No. 496! 9, and New Zealand, October 18,1887, No. 2,588,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in combined grinding,classifying, and amalgamating machines, and is designed to produce amachine which will reduce to an almost impalpable powder alldescriptions of ores, but especially those containing gold and silver;and the improvements consist, first, in forming the working-surfaces ofthe upper and lower grinding-segments of a corrugated section, so as tohave a larger surface through which the material under treatment has topass, second, in arranging the bottom of the pan and the lower segmentsin such a manner as that there is aclear space between them in which toplace mercury for amalgamating purposes, and, third, in the peculiarconstruction of the overflow-classifier, which reduces to a minimum thepossibility of losving any of the precious metals.

These improvements maybe applied to any description of pan which workson the millstone. principle; but the grinding-pans to which our firstand second improvements are specially applicable are those which have acentral vertical revolving spindle, which carries a circular plate, tothe under side of which the upper segments are afiixed. The lowercorrugated surfaces of these segments grind and work upon the lowersegments of a similar section placed at the bottom of the 'ner ends aresupported upon it.

pan, which is itself circularl By forming the grinding-surfaces of acorrugated section, as described in the first improvement, it is nearlyimpossible for the material under the bottom of the lower segments,whose in Thus the Vertical section of the space between the pan andlower segment assumes that of an elongated wedge, and the outer ends ofthe lower segments are held up to their horizontal position either byforming a ring at the bottom of the pan or on the bottom of the segmentsthemselves.

The third improvement, relating to the overflow-classifier, isapplicable to any description of grinder-pan or amalgamating machine,and consists in forming at the outside of the machine, around theoverflow-opening, a box or cistern whose three sides taper toward itsbottom at-an angle of about fifty to sixty-five degrees, and such bottomhas an opening in it which leads to the pan slightly above or in a linewith the corrugated grinding-surfaces. By this means the outflowingmaterial from the pan has to pass through the still water in theclassifier, which thus enables the heavier particles of ores or preciousmetals to fall by gravity to the bottom, whence they are led back to thepan through the lower opening, while the waste materialpasses away fromthe classifier through the overflow at its top. It is evident that 'bythis means much precious material is saved that would otherwise be lost.

Although there may be a degree of similarity between the generalappearance of our machine and those in common use, still we claimto'have produced a useful and meritorious invent-ion, with which themillions of tons of auriferous failings now lying idle on the surface ofall gold-fields may be worked economically and expeditiously, at thesame time yielding large profits, whereas with all known appliances thegold contained in such auriferou's failings could only be extracted ata'cost consi'd-erably in excess of their Value.

The drawings hereto attached illustrate at Figure 1 a part plan, and atFig. 2 a central section, of a machine having our improvements embodiedin it. Fig. 3 isa plan of the lower corrugated segment; and Fig. 4, alongitudinal section of it, showing a circular cortion showing anangular corrugation.

In the drawings, A is the pan, and A its bottom; B, the space formingthe mercurywell; 0, the lower segmental grinding-plate; D, the uppersegmental grinding-plate attached to the rotary carrying-plate E, whichis supported by the tubular carrier E, secured upon the centralvertic'al spindle E ,:to which motion is imparted by bevel gearing''Eflth epinion-of which is' 'on' the layrshaft E 1 The segments formingthe u per grindingplate nave secured to the carrying-plate E- inanyapproved manner, while the bottom segments 0 have: at their'bottomthe rib O to raise them to a horizontal position and allow, space forthe mercury-well.

Th'e'iiiner'wall of the classifier F is formed,

' p'l fei ablwby'the sid e'of the pan, While its anil leads to the holeF outerwal'l's are'formed" by the box F, which tapers at an angleof fromfifty .to sixty-five degrees-nearly to a point at its bottom nd, betweenit and the F 'is' the inlet-hole to classifier,'and" F the wastedischarge or overflow from it, and F is the divergent plate at top ofclassifier.

The operation of our machine is as follows: The material to be'treatedisfed intothe pan with the necessary quantity of water, and bythecurrents' therein carried] to between the corrugated segmentalgrinding-plates D and C, while the liberated metal .falls and isbrouglitinto contact with the mercury in the well B. Thegroundmate'rialescapes through the opening F near top of pan to theclassifier', and owing t'o'the'agit-ation at this point 7 a largepercentage of coarse grains'are carriedinto the classifier and in theordinary Way would flow away to the waste-heap;- but the materialpassing from the agitated Water in the pan to the still water of theclassifier causes the heavy and not sufficiently-ground particles tofall to the-bottom of the classifier, when, by the influence of thecurrents, they re-enter the pan through the opening F and thence betweenthecorrugated grinding-surfaces D and O until'each particle issufficiently fine to float with the current over the still water of theclassifierdischarge F, and thence to the waste-heap.

The adjusting-board F fitted into the classifier near its one end, isdesigned to regulate the discharge of themat-erial under treatment'toany desired degree of fineness, and

the diverting-board F is to divert the current passing from F to Fcausing it to pass under the lower edge of the diverting-board F",

,by which means the very finest particles of Qm'etal, as well as coarseparticles" of ore, are -made to sink.

' Having thus described the nature of our invention and the manner ofperforming same,

we would have it understood that what we believe to be new, andtherefore claim as our g improvements in combined grinding,classifyrugation, While Fig. 5 1s a longitudlnal sec ing, andamalgamating machines, is

1. The combinatiomin an ore crusher and famal'gamator, of a pan ha ving"a' pofrt'i'on of its bottom from the axis toward the periphery inclinedand thence to the periphery horilzontal, a stationary crushing-diskprovided with feet 0 near its periphery,resting-on said ,bo't'tom toform an amalgamating-chagbelow said disk, and" a revoluble crus ,diskcObpe'ratihg withthe stationary disk; substantially as and forthepurposespfeeified".

, 2'. The combination, in more crusher and amalgamaton'of apa'nprovidedwith anf a'xial tubular vertical bearing and bottom? extending on aninclined plane from the bearing toward the periphery and thence on a:horizontal plane to said periphery, a} revoln ble shaft extendingthroughsaidbeaiihgand marrying atubular support encompassing the tubularbearing, a grinding difsk connectedwith the tubular support, antiastationary grinding-disk provided- Wit'h feet- 0' near its 5 periphery,said stationary grinding-disk rest- Iingon the bottom of thepa'n'and'being-adapted to co-operate with the revoluble' grindingdisk,substantially asfor the purpose specified; 3. The combination, in an orecrusherand amalgamator, of a anrewmme crushihg devices arranged thereinand near the bot tom thereof, and a classifying or settling chamber onthe outside of the pan and-in communication therewith byaport near-theupper edge of the pan and aport'at' or near the bottom of said pan,said' chamber hav'ing' inclined walls to dire otthe subsiu'ingmate:

rial to the lower part, and a diverting-board projecting from aboveintofls'aid chamber i'n front of the upper port, substantially as'and'for the purposes specified.

THOMAS WILLIAM w'A'T'soN. THOS. DENNY.

Watson: Y

WALTER SMYTHE BAYsToN, WALTER-CHARLES HART.

ITO

Witnesses to signature of 'lhomasDenny':

FREDERICK MARTIN,

Waukar-mga, Purser to Alma .Mt'ne.

JOHN SOUTHEY PATnRson,

Mme Manager, Waukarmga.

